In audiology, communicating with a patient who is not within range of normal voice communication is performed in a variety of ways, depending on the type of diagnostic test being performed and office setting. In hearing diagnostics, a patient is often isolated in a sound-treated enclosure or booth to ensure that ambient noise does not affect the testing process and results. In some countries outside the United States, the hearing care provider and patient sit together in a sound-treated room. Whenever a hearing care specialist is not face to face with the patient, a patient communications subsystem must be present to facilitate the interchange between the hearing care provider and the patient. This is necessary so that the patient and the hearing care provider can communicate verbally to provide instructions and feedback, and to ensure the safety and comfort of the test subject and also the accuracy of the test result. In audiometry in particular, above and beyond basic verbal communication, speech testing is routinely conducted and often requires that the patient repeat a word or phrase that the tester can hear and score as part of a comprehensive evaluation of a patient's hearing and/or cognitive ability.
In systems designed for audiometry, a built-in port for a microphone and for speaker(s) is implemented to make this possible, and patch cords or other means can be used to connect across physical boundaries such as the enclosure of a sound-proof booth. This configuration is routinely implemented in various countries and regions including the United States, and offers acceptable audio quality for the communication between the hearing care provider and the patient being evaluated.